The Dark Side Of Volunteering

Dedicating free time to a great cause should be a rewarding and selfless journey, but adversely, it can go wrong in so many ways.

It all can start with shaky foundations: no formal training on certain practices and no proper communication from the founder, any upper-echelons or other volunteers. Support and dissemination of information was lacking.

Not emptying buckets of dirty water is bad. Bringing this to the attention of the boss in a phone call should be good practice. Instead of stating "they will speak to whoever that didn't do it", it could be met with a non-related-put-down. It's best to rise above this, but for the sake of argument: does sand cause impaction in herptiles?

Online reputable sources such as Reptifiles asks "in a healthy reptile? No! A healthy reptile — whether it be bearded dragon, leopard gecko, or other — will not get impacted as long their husbandry is correct"

Wiggly Wigglers says:

"You don’t need to add sand or grit (to mealworm enclosures), but some keepers choose to include a small amount of crushed eggshell or fine sand to aid digestion. If you’ve rinsed and dried any bedding you previously used and it smells clean, it can be mixed back in."

Other issues that may crop up: dirty utensils/chopping boards, animal enclosures not being spot cleaned properly, bins not being emptied/replaced and floors being dirt-ridden or literally swept under the tanks. Health and Safety officers would have had a field day. Subsequently, any communication to higher up members regarding this would have fallen on deaf ears.

Lack of communication could be a long-term theme. Simple information, such as a mite problem, would be good to know before a volunteer shows up for a shift. More so, the replacement of natural substrate, for paper towel, may be a confusing appearance. Changes were simply not discussed outside the facility.

Once found out eventually, it could still be unclear on what to do when a herptile is living on paper towels. Again, if simple instructions are not given to state when these should be changed, for example, then bad husbandry occurs. Spraying the towel-laden enclosures could be another blind-alley.

Only reason that sprayed towels would be to increase humidity for certain species. It calls into question the heating of enclosures, temperatures should be hot enough to help evaporation.

Another ominous occurrence could come in the form of a snake bite. A visit to the local doctor for a tetanus shot is needed. Previous training is required in order to deal with this situation and someone with experience might not be there to help.

Afterwards, a potential broken snake tooth might be the main concern. The human condition might not matter. We try to protect the animals but who is protecting the guardians. A point of information to notify that snakes had not been fed the day before may help a lot.

Veterinarian Today says:

"Snakes display subtle yet noticeable behavioural cues when they’re ready for their next meal. Unlike mammals, they rely on instinctual behaviours that can be easily missed by inexperienced owners. Key signs of hunger in snakes include:

• Increased activity, especially around feeding areas or the front of their enclosure.

• Tongue flicking more rapidly than usual, as they search for prey scents.

• Focused attention or tracking movements when you approach the tank.

• Attempting to strike at motion, even if it’s not food.

Recognising these signs of hunger in snakes helps establish a more consistent snake feeding schedule and ensures your pet doesn’t experience unnecessary stress."

More so, the snake that attacked had not been highlighted as a defensive specimen to any of the workers previously. Gloves and a snake hook might have saved the day.

Uncovering 'conditions' and imported illegal inhabitants.

Stowaways can cause problems. An illegal import shouldn't be in the pet trade, never mind an adoption centre. If it escaped, it wouldn't shine a good light on the 'thoughtful' sanctuary.

Residents may live within too small enclosures, Snakes can be provided without any sort of enrichment and surroundings should be cleaner. Ball Pythons and Kingsnakes wouldn't be able to stretch out fully, either arboreally or terrestrially.

The former require more humidity and should not be kept in wooden vivariums - shortens the life of the enclosure and inadvertently loses moisture as they aren't waterproofed. In the end the animal suffers more than most.

Future Tips On Volunteering

Be prepared to see the facilities and ask for formal training. Look out for the conditions at the place of work and size-up your peers/management before committing your time. If both check out, then the animals will receive the best treatment that you can provide.